Spain vs. Italy: Why Italy Has No Shot at Stopping the Favorites

It would be devastating if Spain, the overwhelming favorites to win Euro 2012, blew it in their first matchup against Italy on Sunday. Luckily, though, there's almost no chance that will happen.

It's not just that Spain is the best team in Group C; Spain is the best team overall, and Italy is far from it. Even Italy's goalkeeper admitted that his team has drawn the most challenging possible opponent. Gianluigi Buffon told Goal.com:  

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We respect Spain. The best team almost always win in football, and that is them. But it does not always happen like that. Sometimes others win. Greece did it in 2004 over superior teams. Denmark managed it as well. That gives us some hope.  

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There's nothing like kicking off a championship run against a team that's already talking like they've been defeated. Italy coach Cesare Prandelli attempted to offset that comment by insisting that no team is unbeatable, not even the mighty Spaniards. He told Goal.com, "Spain are very strong but we have beaten them and no team is invincible. I have a team with character, quality and willingness."

It's true that sometimes the most talented team doesn't win it all, and Spain might not emerge from Euro 2012 with a championship. It might be Germany or even Portugal that steals the crown. Spain might blow it farther down the line in this tournament, but this team is far too focused and talented to falter this early.

The Spaniards have been so historically dominant over the last four years that if there's any team in the world that is unbeatable, it's them. Since winning Euro 2008 and the World Cup in 2010, they are gunning to become the first team ever to win two straight Euros and three straight titles.

That wasn't always the case. According to defender Gerard Pique, this used to be a team that "played to avoid losing" (via IBN Live). Ever since that mental shift in 2008, though, there's been no team in the world that has matched their dominance.

That excellence, coupled with Italy's recent woes, just spells doom for the underdogs. According to Reuters, the fact that Italy have lost three consecutive international friendlies could be a carryover effect of the match-fixing scandal they are currently dealing with, which robbed them of defender Domenico Criscito. The Italians are missing key players and they're mentally distracted; how are they going to find a way to take down the top dog? 

The most significant reason Spain is in the best possible shape for Sunday's showdown, however, has nothing to do with that. The Spaniards are ready to dominate on Sunday because despite all of Italy's problems—despite how stacked the deck is in their favor—they still refuse to take anything for granted.

As Pique told Reuters: 

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In the past, it has often been the case that they have played best when they have been discounted. We will have to be at 100 percent with all five senses focused on the game, as we are talking about one of the greats in Europe and the world.

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Spain is not a team that's in danger of falling victim to a shock loss or to a lack of preparation. Spain is simply a team that is the best and has done everything right to put themselves in the best possible position to win.